


my heart beats in triplets

by ohallows



Series: tumblr prompts collection [13]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:40:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23622475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohallows/pseuds/ohallows
Summary: Zolf leans back against the wall of Hamid’s room, arms crossed over his chest as he waits as patiently as he’s able to for Hamid to finish getting ready. Hamid, meanwhile, is staring at himself in the mirror, going through an endless cycle of frustratedly snapping his fingers, making an unimpressed noise, sighing, and going back to the start. Each time, his outfit changes, slowly getting more and more outlandish as the time passes. He must have been through… gods, 30 different options now? Zolf lost count after the sleek red open-backed shirt, paired with shining black pants that Zolf doesn’t think could ever be comfortable. He personally thinks Hamid looks lovely in anything he wears, but Hamid either has much better standards (he does) or is bad at making inconsequential decisions (he is), so they’re stuck back here waiting while Zolf tries not to hurry Hamid along.
Relationships: Azu/Celiquillithon "Cel" Sidebottom (background), Hamid Saleh Haroun al-Tahan/Zolf Smith
Series: tumblr prompts collection [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584370
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52





	my heart beats in triplets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [abbeghoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/abbeghoul/gifts).



> hahah this is my 69th rqg fic. nice. 
> 
> hell yeah ⅔ times i’m writing this prompt. i think these are supposed to be meet cutes but also like. i got this prompt 4 times this is my world now
> 
> abby!!! i hope u like!!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: this was written before cel’s age was revealed! as they’re like.... in their 40s/50s in human years and clearly significantly older than azu, i no longer feel comfortable shipping them, but i also don’t want to take these fics down. so, just a heads up, this was written from a perspective where they were much closer in age. also i won’t be writing any more azu/cel for reasons stated above.

Zolf leans back against the wall of Hamid’s room, arms crossed over his chest as he waits as patiently as he’s able to for Hamid to finish getting ready. Hamid, meanwhile, is staring at himself in the mirror, going through an endless cycle of frustratedly snapping his fingers, making an unimpressed noise, sighing, and going back to the start. Each time, his outfit changes, slowly getting more and more outlandish as the time passes. He must have been through… gods, 30 different options now? Zolf lost count after the sleek red open-backed shirt, paired with shining black pants that Zolf doesn’t think could  _ ever  _ be comfortable. He personally thinks Hamid looks lovely in anything he wears, but Hamid either has much better standards (he does) or is bad at making inconsequential decisions (he is), so they’re stuck back here waiting while Zolf tries not to hurry Hamid along.

He does, however, surreptitiously check his watch - it’s a gift from Cel, and he’s pretty sure that telling time is the least it does, but they won’t actually tell him anything else about it, so he just wears it and hopes for the best. 

And, more importantly, they’ve been standing here for nearly 30 minutes while Hamid’s gone through his entire mental wardrobe, and if they don’t leave soon, they won’t make dinner. It’s not the  _ worst  _ that could happen; Zolf doesn’t like tossing his own name about, but Hamid does, and saving the world more than a few times over does give you a bit of special treatment.

“How’s this?” Hamid asks, twirling left and right as he sizes himself up in the mirror. “I’m not sure if - oh! Of course.” He snaps again and the black shoes disappear, replaced with a dark maroon that perfectly complements the flower he’s got tucked into his hair, somehow. “Better?”

“Perfect,” Zolf says, and Hamid smiles at him, bounding over to Zolf and taking his hands in his. “As always.”

“Aren’t you a flatterer,” Hamid teases, but his cheeks are burning a dull red, so Zolf knows he’s happy with the compliment. He stands up on his tiptoes to press a kiss to Zolf’s cheek, and then drops his hands. “Really? It’s good? I could still -“

“You look wonderful,” he says, kissing the tip of Hamid’s nose. “And  _ we’re  _ late.” He takes Hamid’s hand in his and pulls him along behind himself as he heads out of the room, not giving Hamid the chance to change his mind again. 

Hamid starts to protest, but then must think better of it as they leave.

They call a quick goodbye to Azu and Cel, who have their own date night plans and tell them to have fun, and also to Wilde, who tells them with a slight smirk not to do anything he wouldn’t do. 

Zolf gives him a good-natured two finger salute. “Not interested at all in that, thanks, mate!” he calls, and Wilde just shakes his head before going back to his paperwork. Hamid laughs at his side and squeezes Zolf’s hand before calling his own cheery goodbye back to all of them as well. 

The restaurant they’re going to isn't too far from the inn - a walkable distance, easily, and so they set out on a nice stroll. It’s a lovely day out - Okinoshima is a very pretty place when it’s not raining all the time - and the sun is just beginning to set in the distance, casting everything in gold tones. 

Zolf doesn't have to look at Hamid to know that his scales are glinting in the glow, reflecting the light of the sun. He does  _ anyway _ , though, because Zolf is a lot of things, but he’s not completely unselfish. And Hamid is gorgeous in this light - well, he’s gorgeous  _ always _ , but there’s something about the way his eyes shine in the light that make Zolf fall in love with him all over again.

He’s not as subtle as he might like to be, though - Hamid turns and catches him staring and tilts his head. “What? Is there something -“

Zolf cuts him off, leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. He lingers there for maybe a second longer than he means to, and then pulls back. Hamid’s eyes are closed, and his fingers come up to touch his lips for a moment before his hand falls and his eyes open.

“What was that for?” he asks. “Not that I’m complaining, actually,  _ quite  _ the opposite, er - but -“

“Just wanted to,” Zolf says, as casual as he knows how, pretending like he isn’t second-guessing everything he’s done. Hamid seems to still pick up on it (Hamid’s good at that - at reading people - in a way Zolf never has been, and he’s grateful for it, especially when Hamid’s able to know what he’s trying to say without him having to spell it out). He smiles at Zolf, and squeezes his hand, and they keep walking on toward the restaurant. If Hamid walks a bit closer to him after that, nearly resting his head on Zolf’s shoulder, well - they don’t need to talk about it.

They get to the restaurant before long, and it’s just as crowded as Zolf was worried it would be. He thought ahead though, and stopped by earlier in the week to convince the maitre de to save a space for them. It had taken some… greasing of the hands, but. Well, in the end it all worked out, and Hamid is well worth it. 

They’re shown to their table, much to the displeasure of the other couples who have been waiting around, and Zolf pulls out Hamid’s chair, gesturing for him to sit.

“What a gentleman,” Hamid says, teasing, and Zolf flicks him in the side of the head. “Ow!”

“I got us this table, no teasing,” Zolf warns, and Hamid chuckles, hiding his smile behind his hand.

“I’ll do my best,” Hamid promises, and then pulls the wine list toward himself, forehead pulling together as he reads down the list. “What are you thinking?” 

Hamid always asks him this whenever they go out, which is very sweet of him as a concept, but Zolf knows fuck-all about wine and he plans to keep it that way. He waves toward the wine list, their signal for letting Hamid pick, and Hamid preens, setting the menu down. “You’ll love it,” he promises, and Zolf laughs. 

“I always do,” he says. It’s only  _ slightly  _ a lie. Zolf likes wine well enough, although he’d prefer a large brandy, but he’s never disliked something Hamid’s ordered for them. 

The waitress comes over not long after that, bringing them a small bowl of sliced bread and setting it down on the table. 

“Well, don’t you two look lovely?” the waitress says, smiling at the both of them. Her hair is tied up in a tight knot on top of her head, and her makeup is nearly impeccable. “So handsome, both of you.”

Zolf gives her a tight smile; Hamid complimenting him is all well and good, as much as it makes his brain stall for a moment, but he’s still not used to getting comments from strangers. Hamid, on the other hand, beams at her.

“Thank you!” Hamid says, leaning forward on the table. 

“Do you mind if I ask where you got your shoes? My wife’s been wanting a pair for  _ ages _ .”

“I’m glad you noticed them! They’re new,” Hamid says to the waitress, giving her his most winning smile, and then he launches into a long explanation of how he got them - Zolf just knew that Saira had sent them along as a birthday gift, but he still tunes Hamid out a bit as he gushes. 

They end up ordering a new wine, one Hamid’s excited to try, and they make their way through the wine, the appetizer, the first course, the  _ second  _ course, and Zolf talks Hamid down from a third by ordering him a large dessert instead. 

Hamid stumbles on the way out of the restaurant, and the height difference is just  _ slightly  _ too much for Zolf to effectively wrap Hamid’s arm around his shoulders; he could stoop the entire way back, but none of his joints would thank him for that tomorrow morning. He settles for hovering, hands on either side of Hamid’s arms as he escorts him out of the restaurant. Hamid isn’t  _ completely  _ pissed, of course - they only shared a bottle of wine between them, but there’s a dull flush on his cheeks and spreading down his neck, even visible against the strange scales that keep getting more prominent.

Well, technically they’re not  _ strange _ , Zolf knows exactly what they’re from, but knowing that your boyfriend is a…dragon-in-waiting is a bit different than totally internalising it. They head down a hill toward the inn, Zolf stepping carefully next to Hamid and watching him as he walks. Hamid is laughing at something, a joke no one told, but Zolf is a bit busy making sure he doesn’t slip to really poke fun at him.

They almost make it back without incident. Almost. 

Zolf swears he sees it happen before it even starts, and between one moment and the next he’s walking next to Hamid and then standing in front of him on the stairs as Hamid tumbles forward, colliding with Zolf’s chest as his nose smacks into Zolf’s collarbone. 

“Ow,” Hamid groans, staying exactly where he is. Zolf pushes him back by his shoulders and then cups his face, tilting it this way and that as he inspects it. Nothing’s broken, thankfully, but Hamid’s momentum was quick enough that he’s going to have a nasty bruise in the morning.

Well. He would if Zolf wasn’t, you know. A cleric. Zolf snaps his fingers and Hamid blinks, surprised. “It doesn’t hurt anymore,” he says, and Zolf nods, wiggling his fingers. 

“Magic,” he says, and Hamid laughs. 

“ _ Magic,”  _ he echoes in a whisper, and then giggles to himself again, wiggling his own fingers. He leans back into Zolf, chuckling, and Zolf sighs. 

“Right. Up you get,” Zolf says, sweeping Hamid up into his arms. Hamid makes a little squeak of surprise, but he doesn’t try to struggle away from Zolf’s grip.

“This is nice,” Hamid says, snuggling closer to Zolf, fingers playing with his plait, dancing along the flowers and gems that he’d braided into it before they’d left. “Pretty…”

“Clearly, considering you did it,” Zolf says drily, but even he can’t hide the fondness in his voice as Hamid wraps his arms around his neck. “Am I just carrying you back, now?” Hamid rests his head against Zolf’s shoulders, sighing happily. He doesn’t respond, and Zolf shakes his head even as he smiles off into the darkness. “Right. Suppose that’s a yes, then?” 

Hamid doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t  _ move  _ either, so Zolf resigns himself to his fate. Honestly, it could be worse - Hamid isn’t that heavy, not for him to carry, and considering the last time he had to help someone back to the inn he’d wound up nearly  _ dragging  _ Cel back while a long way from sober himself… listen, it could be worse. And it’s a nice night out, with the stars blinking brightly overhead while a nearly-full moon lights the path back… it reminds Zolf of some of the few good memories he has from being in the navy, laying on the deck and staring up at the sky. 

Hamid doesn’t speak on the way back, and when Zolf glances down to check on him, he notices that Hamid’s dozing lightly in his arms, cheek smushed against Zolf’s arm. He smiles, looking down, and then picks up the pace a bit, eager to get back. 

It isn’t a long trek until he’s pushing open the door to the inn. He gives Wilde a stern look when he gets inside; the man is still up working, and he gives Zolf an understanding nod when he notices him standing there. 

“Soon,” he promises, and Zolf raises an eyebrow.

“Now?” Zolf suggests instead, giving the bags beneath Wilde’s eyes a pointed look. He’s been better about getting more sleep recently, ever since the world got un-broken, but some nights he’s up too late. For the most part, though, he listens to Zolf (or Azu, honestly, depending on who’s closest) and goes to bed when asked, or soon after. 

“Five minutes. Promise,” Wilde says, and Zolf considers him for a minute before deciding he believes him. 

“Fine. Five minutes,” Zolf says, and Wilde nods, tilting his head as he notices Hamid.

“Bit much to drink, then?” he says, raising an eyebrow. 

“Too much alcohol, not enough food,” Zolf explains, which for a halfling seems to be an infrequent problem. “Gonna head up. You better too, yeah?”

“Yes, yes, Zolf,” Wilde says. “Night.”

“...Night,” Zolf says, giving him another stern look. Wilde waves him on and Zolf heads up the stairs toward Hamid’s room. He nudges the door open with his foot, trying not to jostle Hamid overmuch as he slips through the door. 

He sets Hamid down gently on the bed, and starts gently taking his blouse and trousers off, slipping a jumper over his shoulders. Hamid blinks awake in the middle of this, looking up confusedly at Zolf. 

“We’re home?” he slurs, glancing around. “Did -“

“Yes, I carried you home,” Zolf says, pushing gently on Hamid’s shoulders to get him to lay down. “And now, we’re going to bed, yeah?” 

Hamid goes willingly, seeming to be too tired to really put up much of a fight. He pulls the covers up over his legs and lays down, curly hair spilling out over the sheets. Zolf reaches out and brushes the hair away from Hamid’s face, and Hamid smiles up at him. Zolf pulls away and starts to head back to his own room to get washed up. 

“Mm, wait -“ Hamid whines, grabbing Zolf’s arm before he can leave the bed. He blinks up at him, a mix of tipsy and tired, eyelids half lidded as he tries to focus on Zolf. “Don’t leave?” 

Zolf leans down and presses a kiss to Hamid’s temple - it was only a slight mistake, he realizes, as Hamid’s arms come up and lock around his neck, but it’s easy enough to extricate himself from Hamid’s grip and step back. “I’m not,” he promises. “Just need to change and wash up. I’ll be back soon, yeah?” 

Hamid pouts, but doesn’t hold Zolf back this time. He flops back into the pillows and stares up at Zolf, looking like every cover of a Harrison Campbell novel - minus the rippling muscles, which Zolf is honestly fine with, considering that’s not really his type.

“Mm,” Hamid mumbles, throwing his arm over his eyes and curling deeper under the covers. “Love you.”

Gods. It’s not the first time he’s said it, but every time he does it feels like it is. Zolf’s heart does a little skip in his chest, and he can feel himself start to blush. 

“Yeah, er - love you too, Hamid,” he says, smile spreading across his face, and then he turns away and heads back to his room to change and wash his face. Hamid had insisted on giving him some eyeliner, which Zolf hadn’t fought against (it  _ does  _ make his eyes stand out), but Hamid’s not sober enough to prestidigiate it off - plus, he wants to get the flowers and beads out of his beard before falling asleep. 

It doesn’t take long, thankfully, and he puts it all back after it’s out, and then washes the eyeliner off of his eyelids. He grabs a change of clothes, slipping into some comfy shorts and a t-shirt as he goes. The hallway is deserted when he heads back out, but the light is shining out from under Cel’s door, and he can hear them tinkering away on something in there. 

He pushes the door to Hamid’s room open and has to stifle his laugh when he sees Hamid’s completely passed out on the bed and is starfishing, taking up nearly all of the space. He sits on the edge of the bed and carefully and quietly starts undoing the fastenings for his prosthetics, tossing them both onto a small chair in the corner of the room. 

He crawls under the covers next to Hamid, and Hamid might be unconscious but that doesn’t stop him from rolling over in his sleep and cuddling up closer to Zolf. He’s like a little furnace - Zolf never has been able to figure out if that’s due to the dragony bits or the sorcerer bits or just the Hamid bits, but he’s not about to complain, not when Hamid keeps him warm. He adjusts the both of them carefully, trying his best not to wake Hamid up, and ends up on his back, one arm under Hamid, whose head rests on his chest as he snores quietly. Zolf presses a kiss to his forehead, lips lingering there for a moment, and then lets his eyes slip closed as he breathes out, waiting for sleep to claim him too. 

**Author's Note:**

> sup y’all ty for reading, kudos and comments are super nice!!


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